14 DAY TRIAL // Singer Christina Aguilera is making her big screen debut with the musical “Burlesque,” also starring Cher, Kirsten Bell, Stanley Tucci and Cam Gigandet. The film is now playing in US theaters but, according to critics, it’s not really worth the time – or the money.
Granted, critics are almost always reluctant when it comes to singers’ dreams of turning actors, therefore view their first endeavors with a cynical eye. But most of them vouched they wanted to give Christina a fair shot.
Aside from a performance by Cher, wonderful costumes and Aguilera’s gorgeous vocals, there is really nothing to recommend “Burlesque,” the first reviews of the film are saying, since it plays out like an extended version of a music video clip.
“A combination of the worst parts of Showgirls, Coyote Ugly and Glitter, this movie exists for no other reason than to have people tell Aguilera how talented she is as a singer, dancer, and looker,” Capone of Ain’t It Cool News writes.
“I grew up in the ‘80s, and back then, we would have called this kind of work a video album, because that’s all it is – a collection of songs, mostly by one or two artists, strung together by a thin story line,” the review further notes.
“Sure, the women are pretty and scantily clad, and that does count for something. But sitting through this predictable, horribly written, ill-conceived mess is the definition of mental cruelty. If you can do it, more power to you,” the piece says.
There’s a lot of manufactured drama and even more scenes that simply don’t belong (but which had to be included for the wow factor), and it all amounts to a film that is colorful, loud and quite obnoxious.
“Burlesque” plays out like an excuse for first-time writer and director Steve Antin to boast about the many things (people, sets, costumes) he can pile up in a single scene and, in the end, it becomes very tiresome to watch.
“With two big stars like Aguilera and Cher, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with Burlesque being yet another story of fame and fortune in the world of dancers. But so many things fall so flat, it’s hard to forgive,” E! Online also says.
Other critics say that perhaps the film’s biggest fault is that it’s not even as bad as “Showgirls,” which almost instantly was considered (by both audiences and critics) a film so awful it was brilliant.
“Burlesque” has nothing to save it from itself. The film is now playing in US theaters and is rated 32 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes by Top Critics.